Professional Portraits

About this series

In this series you can see high street photographer Hannah Couzens working on location with her real clients. She shows how you can find inspiration all around you, wherever your next clients are. You’ll learn how to assess the available light in a scene and a variety of lighting techniques from simple bouncing techniques with an on-camera flash to a full concept shoot in a cinema using a three light setup.

Course 3

Cinematic and moody – Dramatic portraits

Essential information

Here are some things that are good to know, as well as useful gear to use for this course. These are simply recommendations, not requirements.

Recommended gear

1 x light for on and off-camera use (3 x lights for off-camera use in course no.3)

1 x umbrella or similar light modifier of choice

1 x beauty dish or similar light modifier of choice

1 x hard light modifier of choice

1 x grid of choice

Useful knowledge

Lighting skill level: Basic

No or little experience of off-camera lighting

Want to start exploring simple lighting techniques

Camera skill level: Comfortable handling the camera in manual mode

Courses in this series

Part 1 of 3Controlling nature – Outdoor and indoor portraits

Controlling nature – Outdoor and indoor portraits

Discover how to create beautiful, natural looking images by mixing ambient light and flash.Read more

Part 2 of 3Business on a time crunch – Corporate headshots

Business on a time crunch – Corporate headshots

Learn how to create a variety of different looks in your images by adapting and using different elements in your surroundings.Read more

Part 3 of 3Cinematic and moody – Dramatic portraits

Cinematic and moody – Dramatic portraits

Find out how to create inspiring cinematic images using stunning locations and more advanced lighting techniques.Read more

Gallery

Images shot in this series

Meet the teacher

Hannah Couzens

Hannah is an award winning professional portrait photographer, who shoots everything from corporate headshots to families and celebrities. She also runs a successful high street photography business in the UK and twice won the Young Business Person award. Hannah is involved in many UK speaking engagements for Profoto and runs her own workshops.

Meet the teacher

Hannah Couzens

Hannah is an award winning professional portrait photographer, who shoots everything from corporate headshots to families and celebrities. She also runs a successful high street photography business in the UK and twice won the Young Business Person award. Hannah is involved in many UK speaking engagements for Profoto and runs her own workshops.

Profoto products in action

You don’t need to own Profoto products to learn from this series. But just in case you’re interested, here are the ones we used:

Campaign

Profoto A1

Profoto B1X

Gel Kit

Umbrella Shallow Translucent

OCF Zoom Reflector

OCF Magnum Reflector

OCF Grid Kit

OCF Softbox Rectangular

OCF Beauty Dish White

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a series and a course?

A series consists of three or four courses from the same photographer. If you buy a series, you will benefit from a bundled offer for the entire package. Also, when you complete a series, you’ll receive personal feedback from one of our instructors and become a Certified Light Shaper.

Do I have to own Profoto products in order to take your courses?

No. All our courses are designed to improve your photography, regardless of what equipment you’re using.

How do I access the courses I buy?

As soon as we’ve received payment, you can view or take all your courses online - simply by logging on to the Profoto Academy website. You’ll find your courses at the Profoto Academy start page.